
Soccer
26 Dez 2024 | 15:28 |
The departure of Fabrício Bruno from Flamengo, which was close throughout 2024, could come to fruition soon. The defender lost space in the starting lineup with coach Filipe Luís, who ended the season betting on the duo Léo Ortiz and Léo Pereira. Now, the defender is the target of inquiries from English clubs and Rennes, from France.
Imminent proposals
According to the 'BolaVip' portal, teams from England have already notified Flamengo about sending proposals. Furthermore, interested parties are gathering detailed information about the defender. Fabrício Bruno, who has the dream of playing in Europe, would be inclined to accept a transfer if an advantageous offer appears.
On the other hand, the red-black board sees room for negotiation. With the possible departure of Fabrício Bruno, the club intends to give more opportunities to the young Cleiton, aged 21, who is already part of the professional squad. However, Flamengo must also move in the market to strengthen the defensive sector, if the transfer is confirmed. According to Pablo Raphael, from Gazeta do Urubu, the Mengão board will only negotiate the player if there is consensus within the board between the proposal and the club's planning.
Career at Flamengo
Signed in 2022 from Red Bull Bragantino, Fabrício Bruno has 148 games and six goals with the Flamengo shirt. In 2024, there were 56 matches and one goal. The defender participated in the victories of the Libertadores (2022), Copa do Brasil (2022 and 2024) and the Campeonato Carioca (2023).
Formed at Cruzeiro, Fabrício Bruno turned professional for the Minas Gerais club before being loaned to Chapecoense . He later returned to Cruzeiro and went to Red Bull Bragantino, from where he was acquired by Flamengo. At 28 years old, the player may be close to fulfilling his desire to play in European football.
Planning for 2025
The sale of Fabrício Bruno is part of coach Filipe Luís and football director José Boto's planning for the next season. With Léo Pereira and Léo Ortiz remaining as starters, the defender's departure paves the way for adjustments in the squad, both with the use of young talents and with possible signings.
After a day off last Monday, the Mengão squad returns to activities at Ninho do Urubu in preparation for the decisive duel in the competition.
16 Set 2025 | 09:11 |
Flamengo's squad returned to work on Tuesday morning (16), at Ninho do Urubu, after having a day off on Monday (15) . The activity starts at 9:30 am (Brasília time) and marked the beginning of preparations for the duel against Estudiantes de La Plata (ARG), valid for the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores.
The club's communications department announced that goalkeeper Agustín Rossi will be the team's spokesperson for the day . The number 1 will hold a press conference immediately after training, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at Ninho do Urubu. You can stay up to date with everything in Gazeta do Urubu.
Last Sunday (14), Flamengo defeated Juventude 2-0 at Alfredo Jaconi Stadium in Caxias do Sul in the Brazilian Championship . Arrascaeta opened the scoring in the first half, while Emerson Royal doubled the lead in the second, both with headers, sealing the victory for Flamengo. With the result, the team broke a nearly 28-year drought without beating Juventude away from home.
The victory took Flamengo to 50 points, maintaining its sole lead in the tournament . "Mais Querido" also bolstered its stats as the best attack (47 goals scored) and best defense (only ten conceded in 22 matches). "Mais Querido" also leads a set of statistics in the Brasileirão.
Now, the focus turns to the Libertadores. Flamengo faces Estudiantes this Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã . The return game, in La Plata, is already scheduled for September 25. The match will be broadcast on ESPN (pay TV) and Disney+ (streaming) throughout Brazil.
The striker was unknown to the general public before his arrival at Sporting and the director of Mengão says that negotiations with this profile are complex
16 Set 2025 | 08:48 |
Flamengo's football director, José Boto, said on Monday (15) that Brazilian football is not yet prepared to deal with the signing of little-known players . The director used as an example the case of striker Viktor Gyökeres, bought by Sporting (POR) when he was still playing in the English second division and later sold for 70 million euros.
José Boto uses Gyökeres as an example for signings at Flamengo: "this would be impossible"
"Sporting sold Gyökeres this year for €70 million. If I wanted to bring him to Flamengo , no one would say anything. But when Sporting paid €20 million for him in the English second division, that would have been impossible given the reaction I saw to a €5 million signing . We have to be smart enough to adapt to cultural differences and fan bases," Boto explained in an interview with UOL.
The director then reinforced the need for balance in the Rubro-Negro's negotiations: "At a club like Flamengo , with its size, it's necessary to create a mixed market. Players with impressive names and others who, even without much immediate impact, will add technical value and can still generate sporting or financial returns in the future."
Flamengo had agreed to sign striker Michael Johnston from West Bromwich Albion (ENG) for £5 million (approximately R$37 million). The player had already purchased a ticket to Rio de Janeiro, but the deal was canceled.
The club's official version was that the player had physical problems, but intense pressure from the fans played a decisive role. The negative repercussions led the board to definitively end negotiations with Johnston and West Bromwich.
Without Johnston, Flamengo bolstered its squad with more high-profile names. In the same window, Samuel Lino, Jorge Carrascal, Saúl Ñíguez, and Emerson Royal were announced , in addition to other reinforcements signed earlier in the year.
The coach was among the names considered by the Turkish club to replace José Mourinho and the director of Mengão tried to put a lid on the issue.
16 Set 2025 | 08:30 |
Despite his short career as a professional coach, Filipe Luís continues to attract attention from around the world for his work at Flamengo. Last week, Fenerbahçe (TUR) attempted to sign him , but both the Rio de Janeiro club and the manager rejected the offer .
José Boto on Fenerbahçe's proposal for Flamengo's Filipe Luís: "this is not a bank"
In an interview with UOL, football director José Boto revealed the behind-the-scenes story behind the Turkish move: "Last week, he had the option of leaving the club. I know this because the president of Fenerbahçe called me asking how much money Flamengo wanted to release Filipe Luís . I replied that this isn't a bank. We had no intention of selling him. The club even offered more than the contractual fine, but he didn't want to go. He didn't want to abandon this project."
With negotiations unsuccessful, Fenerbahçe looked at other options. After José Mourinho's departure on August 29, the Turkish club explored several options, including Filipe Luís , but ultimately agreed on Domenico Tedesco last week . Thus, the red-and-black fans can breathe a sigh of relief at the prospect of a new European push.
Filipe Luís is about to complete a year in charge of Flamengo . The coach took over the team on September 30, 2024, after Tite's dismissal, and has since collected titles: Copa do Brasil, Campeonato Carioca, and Supercopa do Brasil . The coach has played 65 games, with 43 wins, 16 draws, and only six losses, consolidating one of the club's most consistent campaigns in recent years.
Flamengo, under the command of Filipe Luís, begins this Thursday (18) the dispute of the quarterfinals of the Libertadores against Estudiantes (ARG) . The match takes place at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, with broadcast by ESPN (closed TV) and Disney+ (streaming).